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Work 7 days a week, answer messages at 3 am, be annoying: Job ad sparks outrage with ‘dystopian’ requirements
A job description is going viral online for its stringent set of requirements, which many have called toxic and unrealistic.
A job description is going viral online for its stringent set of requirements, which many have called toxic and unrealistic. The ad asked for candidates who are willing to work seven days a week, reply to messages late at night, and place work above everything else. A screenshot of the ad was shared on Reddit by a user who said he applied for the position being advertised despite recognising that the company was asking for too much.
“Job description for founding engineer. Although they have the same requirements for every opening. I did apply since I was desperate for a job,” the user explained.
A-players to work 7 days a week
The job description for the role of founding engineer began with a clear disclaimer about how many hours the selected candidate would be expected to work. While five-day work weeks are the norm across the world, and some countries are even moving to a four-day week, this particular job wanted people willing to work seven days a week.
It did offer some relief on weekends though. While employees would still be expected to work, they were free to “grab a brunch or dinner” on Saturday and Sunday.
Next, the job description said it was looking for A-player only. “We'd rather hire 1 A-player and pay an above-market amount (that someone is very happy with) than hire 3 B-players and pay market,” it read.
Grind hard, work nearly 24x7
The description made it clear that the selected candidate would have to work nearly 24x7. Point number three and four asked for drive and grind respectively.
“Drive. You're hungry to do what it takes for us to win,” the post read. “Grind. We work/text on weekends and at night. It's ok to send messages at 3am,” it added.
The ad further encouraged candidates to be “shameless” and relentless in following up, saying “Be extremely annoying if it means winning”.
The ad didn’t stop there. It also demanded that candidates be ready to face fast firing if they didn’t meet expectations, embrace a mission-driven mindset of “making viral content,” and juggle multiple roles without complaint.
Every decision, it said, would be based on expected value rather than caution, and the priority would always be the customer over internal comfort.
Critics online called the listing “dystopian” and “toxic,” arguing that it glorified burnout and created an impossible standard for anyone seeking a healthy work-life balance.
